The case now in Flagler circuit court potentially opens a window onto a relatively new world of early childhood education, but one with little of the regulations or oversight that attends K-12 programs.

The rebuttals and objections don’t actually deny that an incident took place, that it was of a sexual nature, or that a certain degree of supervision may not have been present at the time. Rather, the response is an exercise in exploiting—or creating–loopholes.

The allegation dates from a May 2015 incident in which two VPK students are alleged to have touched or kissed the genitals of a third, and that the alleged assailants were allowed to return to Old Kings Elementary, though not in the same classroom as the alleged victim.